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A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of immune-system activity tend to score much lower on tests of mental health than do people with normal or high immune-system activity. The researcher concluded from this experiment that the immune system protects against mental illness as well as against physical disease.

The researcher’s conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions?

A. High immune-system activity protects against mental illness better than normal immune-system activity does.B. Mental illness is similar to physical disease in its effects on body systems.C. People with high immune-system activity cannot develop mental illness.D. Mental illness does not cause people’s immune-system activity to decrease.E. Psychological treatment of mental illness is not as effective as is medical treatment.

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06 Jun 2008, 08:13

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ritula wrote:

A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of immune-system activity tend to score much lower on tests of mental health than do people with normal or high immune-system activity. The researcher concluded from this experiment that the immune system protects against mental illness as well as against physical disease.The researcher’s conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions?A. High immune-system activity protects against mental illness better than normal immune-system activitydoes.B. Mental illness is similar to physical disease in its effects on body systems.C. People with high immune-system activity cannot develop mental illness.D. Mental illness does not cause people’s immune-system activity to decrease.E. Psychological treatment of mental illness is not as effective as is medical treatment.

DThe author concludes that "the immune system protects against mental illness as well as against physical disease", So the implication is that better immune system protects people from mental/physical illnesses. The author must assume that the reversal is not true that mental illness is not the cause of decreased immune system activity in the first place. Negate this assumption and the argument falls apart.

A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of [#permalink]

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27 Aug 2009, 06:22

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A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of immune-system activity tend to score much lower on tests of mental health than do people with normal or high immune-system activity. The researcher concluded from this experiment that the immune system protects against mental illness as well as against physical disease.

The researcher's conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions

A) High immune-system activity protects against mental illness better than normal immune system activty does.B) Mental illness is similar to physical disease in its effect on the bodyC) People with high immune-system activity cannot develop mental illnessD) Mental illness does not cause people's immune-system activity to decreaseE ) Phychological treatment of mental illness is not as effective as is medical treatment.

Re: A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of [#permalink]

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27 Aug 2009, 07:02

I'm confused with "as well as from physical disease"

I'll go with B. As for me, it's clear from the test that immune system protects from mental illness. But says nothing 'bout physical diseases. B states that mental and physical illness have same properties. So we can expect that immune system can protect from physical illness as well

Re: A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of [#permalink]

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27 Aug 2009, 09:23

The argument claims that low-immune system causes low score on tests of mental health. Therefore, if the mental health causes itself causes immune system to decrease,the statement will be false. so the answer should be "D"

Re: A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of [#permalink]

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27 Aug 2009, 10:10

IMO B

Because, new topic that is introduced in the conclusion is 'physical disease', not mentioned earlier in the evidence. Moreover, 'B' mentions that mental illness and physical disease are similar in effect on the body, leading to the conclusion given in the stimulus.

Re: A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of [#permalink]

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27 Aug 2009, 20:45

abhi758 wrote:

IMO B

Because, new topic that is introduced in the conclusion is 'physical disease', not mentioned earlier in the evidence. Moreover, 'B' mentions that mental illness and physical disease are similar in effect on the body, leading to the conclusion given in the stimulus.

B states that they [mental illness and physical disease] share the same effects on the body but does not state that they are similarly influenced by immune system. Hence i think B is incorrect.

People with high immune-system activity cannot develop mental illness --->

People with high immune-system activity can develop mental illness, the argument is still valid. As far as I understand the argument only says that immune system protects but not that people with a high immune-system cannot develop mental illness.

Consider the following problem

According to a recent study people who take regularly vitamin C are less likely to cancer than people who doesn't. Using this evidence a researcher concluded that vitamin C helps protect against cancer.

The researcher's conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions

People who take high levels of vitamin C cannot contract cancer.

I know the problem is not exactly the same but I just made it up. I hope it's now more clear for you.

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Re: A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of [#permalink]

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28 Feb 2010, 11:22

mikeCoolBoy wrote:

you're welcome. This is a tough question. Also option B is really tempting

Hi Mike,

Can B be a 2nd answer? In other words, D is the best answer but if we assume D is not in the list will B be an answer? I think B also is an assumption for the conclusion but we have a better option D in this case so we chose D. Is that correct?

Re: A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of [#permalink]

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01 Mar 2010, 01:32

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ExecMBA2010 wrote:

mikeCoolBoy wrote:

you're welcome. This is a tough question. Also option B is really tempting

Hi Mike,

Can B be a 2nd answer? In other words, D is the best answer but if we assume D is not in the list will B be an answer? I think B also is an assumption for the conclusion but we have a better option D in this case so we chose D. Is that correct?

Hi ExecMBA2010Not really. There aren't second good choices on the GMAT, there will always be a correct answer choice and the others are incorrect for a reason.

if you logically negate B you get

Mental illness is NOT similar to physical disease in its effect on the BODY

If you read this closely it refers to the effects on the BODY, but the conclusion is broader than that since it just compares mental illness and physical disease so even if you negate B the argument is still valid and B is not an assumption.